Youngblood Hawke: “A New Musical Endeavor! Yum!”

New LA band makes a mark on radio countdowns

When a band’s new single can be heard on the radio in two separate cities within a two-hour time span, you know it’s a band worth hearing. Upon my journey from San Diego to Los Angeles, listening to 91X and KROQ respectively, I got a chance to tune in to Youngblood Hawke’s new single “We Come Running” twice. Usually, this sort of repetition could be classified as monotony, but with this band, and this single, it’s a treat.

Youngblood Hawke, bred in this fair Los Angeles city, has already garnered fans across two counties, and their album has yet to be released. They named themselves after the Herman Wouk novel, Youngblood Hawke, about a young man’s journey as a struggling writer, and the moniker feels fitting for this band, as it has struggled for many years to find identity in the music industry.

According to their biography, the five-piece group — simply identified on their Facebook page as Sam, Simon, Tasso, Alice, and Nik — formed after being “exhausted by two years of touring with their former band and the general turbulence that comes with music industry success.” Much like the book’s antagonist, Youngblood Hawke has finally come into their own, with their single already getting much airplay on KROQ’s Furious 5 @ 9 and on 91X’s New Music in San Diego.

“We Come Running” has made a presence in late night radio countdowns for a reason. The track’s upbeat and energetic sound feels like an anthem for the summer. It can be played at the loudest volume in a car stereo or in the moderately quiet space of a busy office, but in any venue, the track catches the ear. Youngblood Hawke’s song is one meant to be shouted, or sung, or hummed by anyone listening, and the subtle indie/pop blend can intrigue just about any fan of the two genres.

Youngblood Hawke’s Facebook page also adds to the group’s charm. They tag themselves with intrapersonal fervor as “a new musical endeavor! Yum!” and openly share their giddy excitement at being on the radio with their fans. They encourage the masses to vote for them as they strive to be number 1 on the Furious 5 @ 9. And the fans vote. They vote hard.

The new EP is set to be released on August 14th. And it could not come soon enough.